The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-04-29
MY BALLOON TRIP,
A RIDE OVER THE PYRENEEs WITH
A CONVICT.

SOU, and you alone, Ned, can save me.
Ell It's my bread, the balloon is, and not
N mine only, but that of little Polly at
IS school, far away in England there.
And they'll make no more of ripping the
Defiance to ribbons than I would of
chipping the shell of an egg at breakfast,
those peppery Marseillais |"
The situation was, to say the least of
it, exceedingly awkward 1t was the
evening Of fete day, in brilliant, sultry
autumn weather, such as may be looked
for in the south of France; and festi-
val at St. Mature, village lying on the
coast some two leagues eastward of Mar
settles, had drawn thither swarm of
the population of the city. There was
dancing in progress-the merry twang of
the fiddles, floating upward through the
vine tendrils that hung across the open
window, reached my ears as stood be-
side the bed but the great attraction of
the evenings entertainment was to be a
balloon ascent, in'the midst Of fireworks,
on the part of an English aeronaut who,
in the glowing language of the handbills
and posters that had for ten days past
advertised the trip, was described as "the
famous, the intrepid Oliver Killick, le
Rot des Airs"
As for myself, was simply young
English artist, Edward Holmes by name,
not long since returned from pro-
tracted course of art-study in Rome. /
had been accidentally thrown a good
deal into the company of Mr.. Killick,
who had for some time been exhibiting
his balloon in various towns of the south,
and who had shown me some Kindness,
as a fellow-countryman while l, on my
part, had a regard for the old man, whose
quaint anecdotes of his experiences as a
travelling balloonist were often amusing,
and half of whose earnings, as / knew,
were sent home for the benefit Of his
little grandchild
And now serious difficulty had, at
the last moment, arisen. There, in the
garden ofthe village inn, fenced off by
ropes and stakes from the pressure Of
ethe crowd that surged around, was the
Defiance, fully inflated, straining at the
cords that fastened it to earth, and ready
for use, while on his bed lay the unlucky
"King of the Air" grooming and disabled.
He had sent for me to visit him in his
room shortly after the occurrence Of. the
accident--it was a mere stumble over a
loose plank, and fall downstairs land
! though symp9thized with him most
sincerely, / had been quite at loss for
an expedient. Mr.. Killick was heavy
elderly man, and in the fall had sprained
his right wrist and injured his thumb,
besides receiving a cut on the left temple.
"That's nothing he said, half queru-
lousy, as examined the hurt; "Pve had
worse in touching ground, many's the
day. It's the thumb that does Signify,
the thumb and the wrist. I.can't handle
the valve-ropes with this crippled arm
any more than schoolgirl could do it.
And what's to happensnow ?"
My first idea was that the accident,
and the consequent inability of the bal
loonist to give the promised exhibition,
should be notified, and an apology made
to the public; but the veteran decidedly
negatived this apparently obvious pro-
Ceeding. He reminded me of the irascible
character of mob everywhere, and
above all of Southern French mob, and
assured me of what I could readily be-
lieve, that no excuse would be accepted by
looked-for treat of an ascent. They would
certainly destroy the balloon, and not
improbably execute lynch-law In some
form on the aeronaut, while the very
loss of the Defiance would be serious
disaster to its owner. Then, too, a rich
landed proprietor of the neighborhood-
vain young man, with a taste for
notoriety-had offered fifteen louis-d'or
to be taken up as a passenger; and to
disappoint M. Victor de Villenuve, and
lose 500, was also an unwelcome con-
tingency.
To my very great surprise, Mr.. Killick
proposed that l should go up in his
stead, and undertake for the occasion
the office of aeronaut. had indeed
accompanied him, while we were both at
Nice, in two short ascents, and learned
from him to manage the valves and bal
last, the rudiments Of the art Of balloon
ing. was young, active. and steady
head, and the owner Of the Defiance WAS
quite willing TO entrust her to me, II, I
would but So far ohlige him. have
never been quite able satisfactorily to ex-